VIDEO: Flyers' Coach Dave Hakstol talks after loss to Bruins on state of the team, including Saugus' Mike Vecchione

Friday

Sep 22, 2017 at 2:28 AMSep 22, 2017 at 2:28 AM

Such is life for a National Hockey League player in the middle of his first training camp.

Mike Vecchione of Saugus has already played in two exhibition games against the New York Islanders. He has a goal, and a couple of near misses. But it was Thursday, Sept. 21 that he and his family circled on the proverbial calendar. It would have marked his return to the TD Garden, where as the Malden Catholic captain, helped the Lancers win their first-ever state championship in the Super 8 final against St. John’s Prep of Danvers in 2011.

But after Wednesday night’s game against the Islanders and on the bus back to Philly from Brooklyn, he was told that he will not play against the Bruins. He remained in Philly, while the Flyers, who suited up for the game, left for Boston early Thursday afternoon.

But there is good news to this story. There was a second round of cuts Thursday morning. A total of 18 players were told to report to Lehigh, Philly’s AHL affiliate, and he was not among them. He remains on the current big league roster as one 35 active players.

The Philly media is rooting for the affable Saugonian to make the final roster to begin the 2017-18 season.

The Flyers have four exhibition games left on the schedule, before the puck drops for real to begin the regular season. They will be at the New York Rangers next Monday, Sept. 25, and then the Rangers come to Philly the next night, before the Bruins invade the Wells Fargo Center next Thursday night, Sept. 28. The Flyers will close out the exhibition slate against the Islanders on Oct. 1.

Vecchione is bound to suit up for all, or at least some of these games in order to hopefully solidify a spot on the big league roster this year, and for a first-year pro he’s definitely in an excellent position to crack the lineup. Even if he’s on the bubble, a Philadelphia Flyer beat writer said he’d definitely be one of the first call-ups if there’s an injury to a forward. They have been working Vecchione out as a wing, as well as his customary center ice position.